Pasta with Green Olives, Capers, and Fresh Herbs
Servings: 4
Calories: 516kcal
Fresh herbs, mild green olives, and zesty capers make a brightly-flavored sauce for this quick and easy linguine pasta recipe. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
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Ingredients
Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
Pasta and Sauce
- 12 oz linguine or other long noodle
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup torn fresh basil
- 4 oil-packed anchovies
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives or ripe green olives
- ¾ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese or other high quality parmesan cheese
Instructions
Breadcrumbs
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Toast panko breadcrumbs until golden brown, then place on a paper towel to drain.
- Once cool, toss breadcrumbs with lemon zest and fresh dill and set aside.
Pasta with Olives, Capers, and Herbs
- Chop the fresh parsley and tear the basil. Add to a large serving bowl. (Basil won’t get as black on the edges if you tear it instead of chopping it.) Add half of the olives and half of the capers to the bowl.
- Place the anchovies and garlic on a cutting board and use the side of a chef’s knife to mash it into a paste. You may not get it completely smooth, and that is okay. The anchovy will start to melt into the garlic, and the garlic will start to break down. Add the anchovy mixture to the bowl with the herbs.
- Chop the remaining olives and capers down to a small dice, and add to the bowl with the herb mixture. Add the ¼ cup of olive oil and stir to combine.
- Cook the linguine noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Transfer the linguine to the bowl with the herb sauce along with ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and stir, gradually adding the parmesan cheese. Add more water as needed until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Top with the breadcrumbs and a bit more parmesan and serve.
Notes
- To make the anchovy paste, you must use a good, sharp knife and you must use a wooden cutting board. It just won't happen on plastic. If all you have is plastic, just chop the anchovies finely instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 1209mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1727IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 3mg